Ghee mills threaten nationwide shutdown over FBR 'harassment', demand action within 48 hours

Ghee mills across Pakistan have issued a stern ultimatum to the federal government, warning of an indefinite nationwide shutdown if the powers granted to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials are not curtailed within 48 hours.

Chairman of the Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers Association (PVMA), Sheikh Umar Rehan, made the announcement Wednesday, alleging that FBR officers deployed in ghee mills are using excessive authority to harass industry stakeholders.

“Their mandate is to monitor production and sales, but they’re demanding records of previous years and misusing their powers,” he said.

Rehan likened the current situation to placing a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) official in the FBR Chairman’s office.

“If NAB stationed someone in the Chairman FBR’s office, could he work comfortably? Then how do they expect us to operate under such scrutiny?”

He also highlighted the heavy tax burden on the ghee industry. “We are already paying 45% in taxes—35% import duty and 10% advance tax. If our raw material is imported, why are we being taxed again separately?” he questioned.

The PVMA chief revealed that ghee mills are owed Rs 6.5 billion by utility stores and claimed that the government has yet to refund billions owed to the sector. “We are being pushed to the edge. This isn’t just about tax — it’s about survival.”

While a strike had been planned for today, it was temporarily postponed for 48 hours following a scheduled meeting with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in Islamabad. Rehan stated that all members had given a unanimous mandate in the PVMA general body meeting to go on immediate strike.

He also expressed resistance to the government's push for digital invoicing, stating that “the ghee mill industry is not ready for digital invoicing unless the entire industrial chain is digitalised first.”

If the government fails to respond to the industry's demands within the deadline, a crippling shutdown of the ghee production sector looms—one that could have major repercussions on food supply and prices nationwide.